Centrifugal pump



Jan. 10, 1928.

W. M. WHITE CENTR UC-AL PUMP Filed Au v or the like,

resist destructive action of the liquid passing .operation of the Patented Jan. l0, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application med August 20, 1928. Serial Io. 180,380.

This invention relates in general to improvements in the construction-and o era'- tion of rotary h draulic machines, an relates more speci cally to improvedl protecive devices for centrifugal pumps orv the ike.

An object of the invention is to provide an improvedrotary hydraulic machine, such as a centrifugal pump, which is extremely urable in construction. Another object of the invention is to provide pump structure which 1s especially adapted to through the. machine. A further object of the invention is to provide new and useful instrumentalities for indicating at the ex-v terior of a. hydraulic machine, the defective condition of structural elements at the interior thereof, without interrupting the machine. Still another v object of the invention is lto provide sim le and eiicient means for prolonging the' period of usefulness or life of centrifugal pumps or the like. These and other objects of t e .invention will be 'apparent from the following description.

' A. clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the mode of operation of devices constructed in accordance therewith, may be had b referring to the drawing accompanying an forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or slmilar parts In the several vievws.`

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through an improved multi-stage centrifugal pump which is especially adapted for mine or boiler feed service.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged central section through the main shaft and several of the rotors of the improved centrifugal Pump' The centrifugal pump to which the invention has been applied ierein by way of illustration, comprises in general a stationary casing consisting of a base section 3 and a top section 4 cooperating with the base section to forni a housing, and a plurality of rotors or runners 7 rotatably supported' within the housing by means of a main shaft 8. The ump housing is provided with suction and discharge passages 5, 6 respectively, and also has intermediate conduits for conducting the liquid through the successive runners discharge `may be adjusted from 7 series. The runners 7 have hubs 23 which embrace and are drivingl connected to the main shaft 8 by means o keys 9, 10, the end key 10 also serving to lock the endthrust balancing piston 22 to the shaft 8. The'keys 9, 10 cooperate with key-ways in therumier hubs 23 and also engage-key-ways 11 1n the shaft 8, the shaft key-ways being somewhat longer than the adjacent keys thus providing unoccupied spaces at the key ends. The runners 7 are loc ed against end displacement along the shaft 8, by means of bushings 13 which embrace the shaft 8 between the successive runner hubs 23, and by end clampin sleeves 14 having internal screw threat cooperating with external 'screw threads 15, 16 formed on the main shaft 8. The spacing sleeves 13 are rotatably disposed within the stationary wearing bushings 12 which are mounted in the main housing, and gaskets 20, 21 may be inserted between the opposite ends of the sleeves 13 and the adjacent ends of the runner hubs 23. The main shaft 8 is provided with a central conduit or bore 17 which communicates with the spaces at the ends of the keys 9, 10 through radial passages 18, and the end' of the bore 17 may be provided with a leakage nipple V19,.as shown lin Fig. 1. When it is desired to assemble the ump, one of the end keys 9, 10 may first e inserted in the correspondin key-way 11, and the end rotor or runner g may be slipped over the shaft and over the -.sitioned key. The gaskets 20, 21, the sleeves 13, and the remaining keys and runners, may then be applied in succession in an obvious manner. When the runners 7 sleeves 13, and askets 20, 21 have been properly positione upon the shaft 8, the clamping sleeves 14 may be applied to the screw threads 15, 16 and adjusted to irmly'clamp the elements together in end to end relation. The main shaft 8 with the rotors mounted thereon may then be positioned within the base'section 3 of the casing, after which the cover section 4 may be applied to completely enclose the runners 7. It will be apparent that with the pump assembled, the clamping sleeves 14 the exterior of the housing and without necessity of removing the cover 4; If the gaskets 20, 21 are in good condition, these gaskets provide an'effective seal for preventing liquid while passc iol ing through the pump, from entering the spaces surrounding the ke s 9. If however one of the gaskets 20, 21 ecomes defective, liquid will enter the spaces surroundin the corresponding ke 9, 10 and' this lea age liquid will'flow t rough the passages 18 to the central bore 17 from whence the leakage liquid will be discharged through the nipple 19. lDue to the fact that the keys 9, 10 are snugly fitted only at the sides of the keyways in the shaft 8 and runner hubs 28, leakage Huid entering these key-ways through the gaskets 21 will How along the adjacent keys and will likewise enter the spaces 11 and be conducted from thes'e spaces in the manner just described. When delivery o f fluid from the nipple 19 occurs, the operator is advised that one or more of the gaskets 20, 21 has become defective and the coversection 4 should then'be removed and the defective gasket replaced. Before actually removing the cover section 4, the operator may manipulate one or both of the clamping sleeves 14 in order to ascertam whether or not leakage may be thus el1m1- nated. l

From the foregoing description, it w1ll be apparent that the present invention provides simple and eflicient means for detecting the defective condition lof the gaskets 20, 21 and of avoiding destruction of the keys 9, 10 by acid or other destructive .ingredient contained in the liquid b eing pumped. This indication of the condition of enclosed structural elements is effected during normal operation of the pump and without necessity of removing the cover section 4 of the casing. The passages 18 and bore 17 may be readily applied to the shaft 8 at moderate cost, and may if desired be4 applied to the shafts of existing pumps. While the invention has been descrlbed as being. specifically applied to a centrifugal pump, it will be apparent that the principalsthereof are capable of more general l application.

It should be understood that it is not'desired to limit the invention to the exact :details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a shaft havin a conduit therein, a runner operable y said shaft, and means embracing lsaid shaft and prevent displacement thereof along said shaft, said shaft conduit communicating with the joint between said runner and said means and being formed to conduct leakage away from said. joint.

2. In combination, a shaft havin a conduit therein, a runner carried by sald Shaft,

coactlng with said runner to 'cooperating with an end of said rimner to prevent displacement thereof along said shaft, said radial passages communicating with the (jloint between said runner and said sleeve an being formed to conduct leakage from said jointto said bore.

4. In combination, a shaft having a conduit and key-ways communicating .with said conduit, a runner carried` by said shaft at each of said key-ways, and sleeves embracing said shaft and coperating with the ends of said runners to prevent displacement thereof along said shaft, said shaft conduit communicating through said keyways with'the' joints between said runners and said sleeves and being formed to drain leakage awa from said joints.

5. In com in ation, a shaft having a bore and radial passages communicating with said bore, said shaft having key-ways communicating with said passages, a runner carried by said shaft adjacent to each of said key-ways, and sleeves embracing said shaft and cooperating with the ends of said runners to prevent displacement thereof alon said shaft, said shaft passagescom- 'municating with the joints between said runners and said sleeves through said keyways and being formed to con uct leakage from said joints to said bore.

6. In combination, a shaft having a conduit therein,'a runner carried by said shaft, and means lncludin a sleeve and a gasket embracing said sha and cooperating with an end of said runner to prevent displacement thereof along said shaft, said shaft conduit communicating with the' interior of said gasket and being formed to drain leakage away from the interior of ysaid gasket said shaft and zembracing said key-way, and said asket and being formed to drain leakmeans including a sleeve and a gasket emagerom within sald gasket through said bracing said shaft and cooperating with an ke way. 10 end of said runner to prevent displacement n testimonyv whereof, the signature of 5 thereof along said shaft, said means' beingA the inventor is affixed hereto.

rotatable with said shaft and said shaft conduit communicating with the interior of WILLIAM M. WHITE. 

